OaklandÂ’s solar power efforts recognized
Homes, businesses and municipal buildings in the city can produce nearly 6 megawatts of energy from solar power devices, topping San Francisco and San Jose, each of which is able to produce 4 megawatts from solar sources.
Oakland will receive the City Solar Award for "most watts installed" from the Northern California Solar Energy Association at a reception at the Berkeley City Club.
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Cheap material converts heat to electricity
NEW YORK - So-called thermoelectric generators turn waste heat into electricity without producing greenhouse gas emissions, providing what seems like a free lunch. But despite helping power the Mars rovers, the high cost of these devices has prevented their widespread use. Now, researchers have found a way to make cheap thermoelectrics that work just as well as the pricey kind. The work could pave the way for a new generation of greener car engines, industrial furnaces, and other energy-generating devices.
“This looks like a very smart way to realize high performance,” says Li-Dong Zhao, a materials scientist at Beihang University who…